Victors Bastiks (03/02/1912 - 31/10/2001), a Latvian composer, born in Skatre. Bastiks fled his native Latvia when it was annexed by the Soviet Union following World War II; he ultimately settled in Philadelphia, Pennsilvania, where he made his living as a factory worker. He devoted his spare time to composing, organizing vocal festivals and conducting the Latvian Baptist Church.

He wrote his Requiem in 1979 and instead of using the Latin text, Bastiks adopted Bible verses, poetry and folk songs in Latvian. It's one of his almost 300 sacred works and it's clear he has a gift for unclouded, lyrical lines. In the Requiem's "In the Garden of Peace" (excerpted above, and dedicated to the memory of those lost fighting for Latvia), the soprano line emerges quietly and redemptively from the depths of the male choir... It's an absolutely captivating moment, and I must admit to being mildly obsessed with it. Requiem contains:
deel 1 Prayer (5:01)
deel 2 Just a Breath of Wind (7:36)
deel 3 In the Garden of Peace (5:25)
deel 4 Peace (2:23)
deel 5 Blessed are They (4:12)
deel 6 Behold, I Show You a Mystery (4:33)
deel 7 I Saw a New Heaven (4:04)
deel 8 Lord, Who May Dwelleth In Your Sanctuary? (2:54)
deel 9 I Know My Redeemer Lives (1:17)
deel 10 Our Father (2:39)